After successful completion of the course, students are able to assess the global market for electrical and electronic products and e-waste generation. The students can describe the material composition of electrical products and recycling technologies as well as the main related European and international legal regulations. Students can describe the complexity of international markets and waste streams and the future environmental pressures created by changing technologies for electrical products. Students can summarise the principles and challenges of a circular economy in the electrical sector on a European and global level.
- Facts and figures about WEEE
- Material composition of electrical products, valuable and hazardous materials
- Waste generation along the life cycle of electrical products
- Legislation (WEEE, RoHS, Battery regulation, Ecodesign Directive,...)
- Disassembly, recovery and recycling of electrical equipment: principles and case studies
- Resource materials, pollutants, circular economy
Lecture; videos; excursion; Team work: seminar paper; presentaions; "stories of material" method by Stefan Böschen; detailed script
Note: In the first unit, teams of 4 students are formed and topics are assigned